Chapter 9: I'm Hauling Alligators
...
One month later on a Thursday afternoon:
Rey finished her current assignment at an unoccupied table near Ben's and looked around the empty lab. She had come directly to Supremacy hall after her engineering lab, so she and Ben could leave for dinner together.
Ben wasn't pulling himself away from his work. Even Phasma left the lab just a few minutes ago. Rey gathered up her things into her satchel as she got up from the table and walked over to Ben. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Come on, it's almost time for us to go. Everyone else is gone. It's 5:30," she said. Ben then pulled himself away from Rey so he could turn around in his chair and bring her closer to him.
"So you're saying we have another fifteen minutes? That should be enough time for this..." he responded as he placed several playful kisses from her neck to the parts of her chest exposed by her shirt.
"Seriously, Ben!" she exclaimed with a laugh. She jumped onto his lap and straddled him as she drew him into a deeper kiss. After a while, Ben moved his hands down to her butt and brought her hips closer to his own, pushing his hardness against her.
"Hmm... There's no one around here. You think we have time for a quickie?" Ben suggested with a bit of a mischievous grin.
"We can always blame it on the traffic if we're late," Rey responded with a smirk as she started to unbutton his shirt. They managed to get their shirts off in between kisses before Ben's phone gave a chime notification.
"Mm... Ignore it," Rey commented as Ben began to undo her pants. The phone went off again, causing Ben to growl in frustration as he reached for his phone.
"Let me just make sure it's not my parents," Ben commented as he read over his texts.
JESSIKA: Ahhh! (screaming emoji) I forgot my students' midterm reports in the lab and they're supposed to all be graded before tomorrow's class! Any of you still on campus? If one of you could get my reports, I will be forever grateful and repay you however you wish (within reason)
TALLIE: Oh no! So sorry, still downtown!
"Well, what is it?" Rey asked.
"It's a group text from Jessika to the grad students... She forgot some reports for her students here in the lab and wants someone to bring them to her tonight," Ben explained as the phone chimed with several more responses.
PHASMA: Nope. I'm not covering for your scatterbrained ass.
JESSIKA: Screw you too Phas
MITAKA: Sorry, I'm at the dentist. Also, Phasma and Jessika, please keep your drama out of these group texts!
He rolled his eyes and told her, "What a surprise, Phasma and Jessika are insulting each other already. I should answer before this escalates into another one of their fights that gets broadcast to the whole department..."
Just before Ben could reply to the group text, Poe chimed in with his response.
POE: Im just getting out of a meeting with Holdo, ill go right down and get them for you Jess!
"Shit, Poe's on his way down here to pick up Jessika's reports," Ben griped, "You've got to get out of here."
"This was going far too well to not get interrupted by someone, least of all my brother... At least we got a text warning," Rey replied bitterly as she got off Ben's lap and buttoned up her pants.
Once she put on her shirt and got her satchel, Ben remarked, "Maybe meet me at the coffee shop next to Supremacy? I'll text you when Poe and I both leave."
"Sounds good," Rey agreed as she gave him a quick peck before leaving the lab. While she climbed the steps from the basement, she encountered Poe making his way down from the professors' offices upstairs.
"Hey Rey! What are you doing around here?" Poe exclaimed with his usual cheerful expression.
"Hey Poe! Um... Just checking the lost and found, Rose said she forgot a sweater today..." Rey lied, trying to maintain a calm appearance.
"Hope you found it?" he asked.
"No, unfortunately... So, what are you doing here so late in the day?" Rey inquired nonchalantly, even though she already knew exactly why Poe was here.
"Jess forgot her grading stuff in the lab again, so I volunteered to go get them for her," he explained to his sister.
"Gotcha, well, I won't keep you, see you Saturday!" she commented, giving Poe a hug before she continued her exit.
When Poe entered the lab, he immediately headed straight to Jessika's workstation, not noticing Ben's presence in the room.
"Hello Poe, nice of you to do that for Jessika," Ben said as he finished straightening out his clothes, finally getting rid of his erection.
"Oh hey Ben! Rough day today?" Poe answered, noticing Ben's disheveled hair.
"Just a long day... About to go get dinner with my parents tonight, they're in town for my birthday," Ben shrugged while gathering up his materials.
"It's your birthday today?" Poe asked, stuffing Jess's papers into his tote.
"Not quite, it's tomorrow... But some of my friends wanted to take me for drinks tomorrow night, because it's my 30th birthday," he responded.
"The 30s are the best years, man! Well, I'm out. Have a great weekend and happy birthday!" Poe answered with encouragement. Ben returned the wishes for a good weekend to Poe as the two of them left the lab and went their separate ways.
...
Later that evening, Rey recounted her day to Rose, who listened attentively. She explained how Poe nearly walked in on her and Ben getting it on in the archaeology lab.
"You're one of my best friends, Rey, but this sneaking around is getting ridiculous," Rose said bluntly, "It's been over a month and half."
"I know... I just... I wanted to make sure there weren't any other skeletons in the closet or red flags before I told them..." her roommate sighed with a slightly guilty expression. She knew it was time to tell her family exactly whom she was dating.
"You promised me you'd tell Poe and Finn about Ben if things got serious. Your brothers have known Ben for a while. They'd say something if he crossed a line," Rose answered as she placed her hand on Rey's shoulder reassuringly.
"That's just the thing, Rose! What line is considered too far for my brothers to start threatening castration and telling my parents that he's treating me horribly?" Rey exclaimed in response.
"Hey, you forget I'm with Finn. I'll back you up, but you've got to tell them. Otherwise, I'll do it myself," Rose insisted.
"Okay... Fine, I'll do it soon, either this weekend or next week," Rey acquiesced, bringing a small grin to Rose's face.
"Good," Rose commented as she gave Rey a reassuring hug, "It's going to be fine, when all is said and done."
...
The next morning, Rey waited at Maz's Beanery for Finn and Ben to arrive. After her conversation with Rose, Rey and Ben talked over ForceTime about the issue of coming clean to her brothers about their relationship. They decided to tell Finn first, since he was the calmer of the two brothers. Additionally, Rose would keep him in check if he had any kind of overreaction.
Rey persuaded Finn to meet her at Maz's on the premise of discussing Rose's birthday party that Saturday night without her finding out about the surprise. He had no idea Ben would be at the cafe, too. She anxiously fidgeted with her phone as she looked out the window and waited.
Ben was the first to arrive at the cafe, and she happily greeted him with a hug and kiss, "Happy birthday again, Ben! Thank you for agreeing to do this today. I'll pay you back later tonight..."
"Thank you, Rey, and if you mean what I think you do by 'paying me back,' I look forward to it," Ben grinned as he returned her kiss, "Are you still coming to the First Order Pub tonight? Phasma and Hux are being obnoxious and invited some of my archaeology and band friends..."
"Ah, so I might meet your knights... Will they be in armor?" Rey teased.
"This is too much socializing for the weekend...," he grumbled.
"You only turn 30 once! Keep complaining and I'll drag you to Rose's party, too," she threatened half-jokingly.
"Ready to order some coffee?" Ben offered, changing the topic. While the two waited in line and continued chatting, Rey noticed Finn entering and looking around the cafe. She waved her brother over to the line.
"Good morning, peanut!" Finn greeted Rey as he pulled her into a hug.
"Good morning, Finn! Thanks for agreeing to get coffee this early," Rey responded as she hugged him back.
"No problem! Anything for you and Rose," Finn said before he noticed the tall man behind Rey and waved, "Ben? Good morning."
"Morning, Finn... Your studying going well lately?" Ben answered with a wave, not quite sure what to say right at that moment.
"Yes, just trying to balance homework with law school applications...," Finn responded politely before realizing something, "Hold on, have you and Rey met each other yet?"
Before Ben could speak, a grizzled man greeted them, "Hey kids, you didn't tell me you'd be here this morning. Who's this friend of yours here, Ben?"
Ben greeted his father, "Hello Han. This is Rey's brother, Finn. Finn, this is my father Han Solo."
"Nice to meet you, Finn. It's my son's birthday, you know," Han remarked as he slapped Ben on the back heartily, causing his son give him a quick glare, "I'll pick up coffee and food for you all. My treat."
"Happy birthday, Ben! Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Solo. That's nice of you, but it's really not necessary," Finn answered but the older man continued to insist until they gave in to his offer. Finn realized that Rey seemed somewhat familiar with Ben and Han, so he tried to figure out a way to ask them how they knew each other.
However, not long after the introductions, Chewbacca burst into the cafe and grabbed Han's attention, "Han, come outside to the back! There are strange noises coming from the truck's cargo."
Rey and Ben instinctively followed Han and Chewbacca outside, and Finn decided to go along out of curiosity.
"Don't tell me an alligator got loose..." Han complained as he headed towards his company truck parked in the cafe's back parking lot.
Finn's eyes widened with shock as he looked at the truck, labeled Millenium Falcon Automotives, and remarked, "You're not hauling gators on your truck, are you?"
"I'm hauling gators," Han said in a matter-of-fact manner, not looking at anyone.
"Seriously, Han? What's in it for you?" Ben griped as they reached the truck.
Han began explaining as he unlocked and opened the truck's doors, "My racing friend Prana owns a gator farm, but he's downsizing. He offered a very good sum for us to get two gators off his hands and take them in the company truck to the Kanjiklub animal sanctuary... Kriff!"
Sure enough, there was a gator standing defiantly on the truck bed, with his friend still securely locked in a nearby cage. The gator opened its mouth and defensively hissed at the group, causing them to jump back.
"The three of you stand back. Chewie, get the gator snares," Han commanded as he held a firm hand on the door, keeping an eye on the reptile.
While Chewie grabbed the tools, several pigeons flew into the truck and started pecking around the floor. The gator caught and scarfed down a pigeon, causing Rey to cover her mouth in shock. Finn stared in horror at the sight, while Ben gently rubbed Rey's shoulders, not caring that her brother was next to them.
"Get the duct tape, too! It just ate a bird!" Han shouted, seemingly unfazed by the gator's actions. Once Chewie returned with the snares and the tape, Han handed one of the snares to Ben and told him to help them subdue the gator.
"You're a dead man if mother finds out about this," Ben snapped as he took the snare from his father.
As the three men got the gator under control, Finn took a deep breath and remarked, "Well, I'm going to go inside and hold a place in the line before it gets longer... Nice to meet you all again." He walked away from the group, forgetting about Rey's seeming familiarity with the Solos.
Deciding to not leave her brother alone after such a wild scene, Rey waved at the Solo men and Chewbacca taping the gator's mouth shut. Ben gave Rey an apologetic glance before she entered the building.
"No wonder Ben's crazy. I'd be crazy too if I had to grow up with that," Finn commented once Rey caught up with Finn inside.
"To be fair, they got it all under control in the end... So, Rose's party tomorrow?" Rey spoke, slowly changing the focus of the topic. The whole alligator ordeal was not necessarily going to give Finn a good opinion of Ben and his family. She and Ben were going to have to break the news to her brothers another day, it seemed.
...
Note: There shouldn't really be another big time jump for this work after this chapter.
Megumisakura, thank you! Glad you liked it! Booklover, it looks like your review got cut off but thank you for the review effort!
Next update should be within 1-1.5 weeks! Constructive feedback and reviews always welcomed!
